Feed mechanism



Sept. 22, 1936. S; P. WIMPEE ET AL FEED MECHANISM Filed Feb. 10, 1931 3Sheets-Sheet l NAMN Sept. 22, 1936. s. P. WIMPEE ET AL I V FEEDMECHANISM Filed Feb. 10, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2'

11v VEN TORJ &

, A TTORNE y Sept; 22, 1936- s. P. WIMPEE ET AL FEED MECHANISM FiledF'b. 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTORJ V pee y 107 e Jr.

% I A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1936 UNITEDST'YATESPATENT OFFICESidneyP. 'Wimpec and Sidney P. Wimpee, Jr., Seattle, Wash; said Wimpee,J12, assignor to said SidneyP. Wimpee Application February 10, 1931,Serial'No. 514,756

' 21 Claims. (01. 271-43) Our invention relates-to feeding devices, andis particularly adapted for useinthe feeding of envelopes to mostefficiently locate andremove the same to and from dispositionsadvantageous for addressingor otherwise stenciling thesame. While theillustrated embodimentiof the invention is particularly designed. fordetachable securement to that character of addressing machine in mostgeneral use at the present time, its ready adaptability, with minorstructural=alterations, to other forms of machine or character of workis believed evident. 1'

: To such end, the present invention has for an object, generallystated, the provision of-most efficient feeding devices providing asimplified control so devised as torender the machine capable'of use inconjunction with practically any form of -mechanical movement which mayconstitute the motive source of such various machines as have heretoforeor'may hereafter be employed for the purpose of addressing envelopes, orin the accomplishment 'ofsuch other pertinent form of work as may bedesired.

More particularly, thepresent invention has for an object the provisionof a continuous uninterrupted feed medium which may be collectively orindividually driven with or from awork-zperforming machine proper, and.vvherein the-responsive progression of the work on said medium isintermittentlyinterrupted responsive to rockerarm activity readilycontrolledthrough adapta-v bilityto reciprocatory,,rotary or such" otherform of energy as might be utilized bya selectedmachine in theperformance of its work objective.

Other objects and advantages, together'with the foregoing; willappearthroughout the course of the following description and claims, theinvention consisting in the novel construction, the adaptation, and thecombinationofp'arts as hereinafter described-and claimed. 1

In the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention isparticularly designed for use with a reciprocating type platenaddressing machine of the embossed-plate type,

Figure 1 is a top plan. view of our invention, portions of theaddressing machine shown therewith, as indicated by the broken-linecontinuity between cooperatingparts, being broken away.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are-transverse vertical sections taken substantially,on the lines 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. l, eliminatinga-sectional showingv from the former of operating mechanism containedinthe addressing machine. Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticallongitudinal-vertical section of the drive arrangement of the invention.

.Fig. 6 is :an enlarged detail front elevation of the rocker controldevices, the frame indicated in transverse section, and the :addressingmachine shown in outline, and

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof, taken on line *i! ofFig. 6.

With respect to'the addressing machineproper, the numeral I represents abase,.a transverse carriage l therein being arranged to intermittentlyfeed the embossed addressing plates into suitable dispositions. below anink-impregnated ribbon l2.

Said plate feed constitutes operative interconnection, not shown, from'amanuallyior otherwise controlled beam l pivotedat 'l3iand supporting aplaten l6 adapted for pressure-engagement to an envelope superposed overthe ribbon.

The manual control illustrated comprises a handle projection l4depressibly actuating said beam-in opposition to a retractile spring H.In the operation of theillustrated addressing machine, the envelopesconstituting the work have been heretofore manually'positioned throughthe medium of a guide rail having parallel pins integrally carriedthereby for engagement through the upstanding earsiltlconstituting thebearing boxes for the beam'activity, said-pins and the guiderail beingtransverselyadjustable as by set screws [9.

Such illustrated machine, furthermore, is characterized bva shaftmounted in the beam in offset disposition of the beam axis forresponsive arouate reciprocation in dislodging the imprinted workthroughsuitable ejection devices. I

It is to be understood that such aforesaid guide rail and the ejectiondevices, as heretofore used, are eliminated, our invention replacing theformer with one of two transversely spaced interconnected parallel siderails conjointly constituting a frame, the shaft 2!), however, beingutilized in the present illustrated embodiment as an op cratingmediumfor rocker-arm control devices,

hereinafter described.

With particular reference to the present invention, said frame,generally represented as 2l, is cut away as at 22 for detachableengagement in selected transverse dispositions over the machine base,laterally projecting parallel rods 23 replacing the aforesaid guide railconnection.

Said frame, moreover, carries longitudinallyspaced bars 24 forsupporting transversely-adjustable laterally-spaced channel members 25,said channel members co -operating with endless spaced-apart frictionfeed belts 26 for guiding selective widths of envelopes longitudinallyof the frame.

The invention is conceived to control the progression of said envelopesthrough an interruption of the same at responsive intervals of theaddressing process. To such end, we provide bearing boxes 21 secured tothe frame for support? ing a longitudinal rock-shaft 28, said rock shaftcarrying boxes. 33, 3! in spaced-apart disposition of its length forinterconnection with slidably each of said rocker arms conformed topresent downturned intercepting terminals 32. 33 normally projectingbelow the path'of travel of the work. In actuating the same, saidrock-shaft carries a bell-crank 34 having a connecting arm 36therebetween and a medially pivoted link 35, said link actuated throughelevation of a lever 31 having a projecting pin 38 arranged for trackingengagement in the slot 40 of a bar 39 retained'horizontally throughparallel links M pivotally supporting the same above a frame-securedbracket 43. 44 represents a guide slot for the terminal end of lever 31.1

Vertical activity is imparted to bar 39 through a dog 45 arranged forengagement to the same, being pivotally supported by and controlledthrough vertical activity of a pitman 46 having its hub 41 sleeved overthe aforementioned shaft 20, said dog advantageously controlling therocker-arm operating bar 39 to retain said rockerarms in their elevatedwork-releasing dispositions for selected intervals only, spring 48returning respective elements to normal positions responsive to ridingengagement of a releasing cam face 49 of the dog over abracket-supported horizontal arm 50 in opposition to the retractiveenergy of an extension spring 5|.

Reverting more particularly to belts 26, and a cooperating mediallydisposed feed belt 52 for introducing a leading edge of successiveenvelopes to the channel-way described, said belts are each arranged forpassage about a drive roll 55 and in oppositional directions therefromto respective idler rolls 56, 57 journalled in extreme ends of theframe. Horizontally spaced from said drive roll, presser rolls 58 and 59are disposed above and below the progressive surfaces of belts 26, thelatter. driven responsive to frictional engagement of the belt returnsurfaces responsive to passage over a tension roll 60. 6| indicates adriven roller operating in an oppositional direction to the workprogression and vertically adjustable through cap screws 63 forregulating the same above the drive roller 55, said roller 6| preventingadmission of a plurality of envelopes superposed one above the other ina magazine 64.

Relative thereto, said magazine, comprising individually adjustableplates conformed to present floor portions 65 and wing sides 66,provides inwardly projecting fingers 61 serving to elevate the rearportions of the envelopes out of engagement with the belt 52, andco-operating with the aforedescribed driven roller 6| to prevent acrowding of the envelopes responsive to belt friction. As designed, thebelt 52 dislodges the lowermost envelope in the magazine by its initialengagement with the leading edge thereof.

In the adaptation of the invention to varying widths of work, namely,the lateral adjustability of the magazine and the channel members 25, weprovide belt guides, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, which may comprisebars 16 slidable in grooves of the frame side rails, said bars pro:

against the ribbon I2. ever, said beam depression disposes pitman 46viding upstanding fingers 1| engaging oppositional sides of the belts 26and retained in se lected dispositions through the medium of leafsprings 12. The movement of the guides transversely of the frameadvantageously controls selective dispositions of the belts.

In operation, assuming an envelope E to be disposed to have its leadingedge abut terminal 32 of the rocker-arm 32, a succeeding envelope havingbeen previously dislodged from the magazine to abut terminal 33 ofrocker-arm 33, the adjustable rocker-arms as represented by 32, 33,

operator depresses the beam supported platen Hi to compress the envelopetherebetween and an embossed plate disposed in the machine carriage II,said plate simultaneously elevated More particularly howinto its dottedline position, as illustrated in Fig. 6, responsively to which the ratohof dog 45 engages below bar 39 through disengagement of thehorizontalarm 50 from the extreme projection of cam face 49.

- As beam I5 is released, allowing retraction to normal position, dog 45elevates horizontal bar 39, subsequent rock-shaft activity elevatingrocker-arm terminals (Fig. 6) in allowing belts 26 to frictionally carrythe work in discharging the imprinted envelope and simultaneouslyfeeding the succeeding envelope progressively to its printingdisposition. Release of the bar 39 from its dotted line position,responsive to cam-controlled activity of the dog ratch, drops therockerarms over the progressing envelope surfaces, the rocker-armsriding thereon and subsequently dropping to intercept succeedingenvelopes, compl eting a cycle of operation.

As is believed apparent, the leading edge of the magazine-retainedworkis prevented crowding the preceding arm-intercepted envelope throughadverse directive rotation of the roller 6| conjunctively with theelevating fingers 51. Adjusting the relative dispositions of thechannels and belts 26, one with the other, together with the magazinewidth, accommodates various sized work, the horizontal arrangement ofthe bar 39 and cam-operating arm 50, moreover, affording operativeactivity from the dog 45 irrespective of transverse location of the feedframe.

While not illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it has been foundadvantageous to attach a conventional-type ball-roll caster to the feetor terminals of the respective rocker-arms in eliminating frictionaldrag of the same to the surface of the progressing envelopes.

The invention is believed clear from the foregoing. It is not ourintention that the same belimited, except as by the scope of the heretoannexed claims and where reference therein is made to a printingmachine, the same obviously includes any machine or mechanism to whichthe invention is adapted.

What we claim, is, r 1. In work-feeding control mechanism for a printingmachine of a character utilizing a reciprocating platen-supportingplaten-operating arm, a belt feed, lateral guide-rails co-operating withsaid belt feed, a work-holding magazine,

means for introducing successive work from said magazine to the belt andbetween said guiderails, and means controlled by the movement of saidreciprocating arm of the machine for selectively interrupting theprogressive travel of the work longitudinaly of the belt feed.

2. Apparatus including a work-holding magazine, means for dislodging thework from said mews :magazine, means comprising :a roller having itswork .engagingsurface movable in a :direction conversely to thedirection of .dislodgment for .dislodging said work one at a time only,and means for intermittentlyfeeding said idislodged 'work inintermittent progression from saidmagazine.

3. In. work feeding apparatus for a manually control-led printingmachine including a recipirocating platen, the combinationlwith a con-:tinuous-feed belt adaptedito support and frictionally feed successiveenvelopes individually introduced over the same, :of reciprocatingideyices operative automatically in response to suecessive manuallyimpelled reciprocatory actions :of theplaten for controlling themovementof .the work on the belt into printing position :below theplaten.

i In apparatus for feeding unprinted work to a'printing machine, thecombination with a continuous-feed friction belt'adap-ted toprogressively feed the envelopes, work-confining side-rails, and meansaffording adjustment :of said side rails :to vary the spacetherebetween, of an envelopecontaining .magazine, and means forintroducing said envelopes, one at a time, from said magazine to thebelt.

' :5. In printing machine apparatus, a machine for feeding envelopes andthe like thereto, conizprising in combination, a frame havingtransversely-adjustable guide rails disposed "longitu- ;din'ally .of thesame, endless longitudinally dis posed feed belts .adapted tohaverespective upper progressive surfaces co-operate with the guiderails to afford channel-ways therebetween, devices for regulatingrespective belts transversely of the frame, .a magazine .for containingthe envelopes, means to discharge the envelopes, one

at a time, from said magazine and introduce the lateral edges thereofwithin the channel-ways, means for intermittently interrupting theprogression of said envelopes both in their initial progression in saidchannel-ways and in working dispositions relative to the printingdevices of the machine, and means co-operating with said initialinterruption serving to prevent subsequent discharge of succeedingenvelopes from the magazine during said periods of feed interruption.

6. In feeding apparatus, a pair of longitudipally-spaced rollers, a pairof endless spacedapart carrier belts passing about said rollers, anddevices engaging lateral edges of respective belts and adapted totransverse regulation for governing the disposition of said belts onsaid rollers.

7. In feeding apparatus having a work-containing magazine comprisingtransversely spaced upright wing elements, a belt, and a pair of drivenrollers supporting said belt to dispose the progressive upper surfacethereof as the magazine floor, a roller disposed in spaced dispositionabove said belt surface, said last named roller and the belt rollersbeing driven in similar directive rotations, and means disposed toelevate the rear edge of the work in said magazine out of engagementwith said beltfloor and co-operating with the last named roller toprevent duplicate feeding of the work from said magazine to the belt.

8. In feeding apparatus comprising a table, and means for conveying thework longitudinally of said table, a rocker-arm having a normaldisposition within the path of travel of the work on said table, andmeans affording intermittent activity of said rocker-arm out of the pathof travel of said work, said means comprising a Zlever :member, a :dog,land means ."for intermittently engaging said dog with said levermemiber.

:9. In mechanical movements, a rocker-arm, :a

rock-shaft therefor, .a horizontal .arm having 1 parallel :linkspivotally interconnecting the same with a frame, link interconnectionaffording rockrshaft :activity responsive ?to vertical action of saidhorizontal arm, :a dog engageable with said horizontal :arm, andmeansi-for imparting reciprocatory vertical :activity to said .dog.

10. In feed mechanism comprising .a magazine for containing-a stack .ofthe articles to be fed, and including a driven belt :having its upperprogressive surface located to engage the forward :tip only .of thelowermost article in said magazine, 33.101161 located L'EbIOVB saidprogressive surface of the belt, and means for driving said roller :to:revolve its lower surface in a direction converselyto the direction .ofvdischargeof the articles, said converse directional travel preventingduplicate feeding :of the articles by resisting the frictional dragimparted to a succeeding article iinthemagazineby the forward movementof the (discharged article.

:11. In feeding apparatus comprising a table, and'means :for conveyingthe Work longitudinal- :ly of the table, .a stop finger normally locatedto :interrupt :the travel of the Work on said table, a reciprocatoryahead'controlling said finger, and means alternatively engaging anddisengaging the head with and from the finger affording, in response tothe movement of the head, operationof the finger from its normalwork-interrupting position out of and into said-work-in'terruptin-gposition, intermittently.

In. feeding apparatus, :a table, means for conveying'ithe'work on saidtabla-stop mechanism normally located in the path of travel of the workto interrupt the same, a head manually impelled for reciprocatoryactivity, and means acting automatically in response to onereciprocatory cycle only of said head for effecting movement of saidstop mechanism from its normal work-interrupting position out of andinto the path of travel of the work.

13. In apparatus including a belt feed, and a channel co-operating withthe belt for guiding the work longitudinally of the same, controldevices movable into and out of the path of movement of the work forinterrupting the progress of the work on the belt, and means including adog supported for reciprocatory activity and operative to alternatelyengage and release said control devices for rendering the latteroperative to interrupt the work.

14. In apparatus including feed mechanism, a work-holding magazine, andmeans operative to dislodge and introduce successive work from themagazine to the feed mechanism, devices arranged for rocker activityinto and from the path of travel of the Work in said feed mechanism forintermittently interrupting the progress of the work. and. meansincluding a dog alternately operative to engage and release said devicesfor imparting rocker activity to the same. 15. In apparatus includingfeed mechanism, control devices movable into and out of the path ofmovement of the work for interrupting the travel of the work in saidfeed mechanism, and

means including a dog supported for reciproca- 16. In apparatus forfeeding the work to a printing machine or the like of the characterincluding a manually reciprocated platen, the

combination of a Work-holding magazine, feed mechanism for progressivelyadvancing the work from said Work-holding magazine, means to dislodgethe work from the magazine to the feed mechanism, and means comprising,plural stop fingers operating in unison automatically in response tomanual reciprocation of the platen to interrupt the work in positioningthe Work for printing the same.

17. Work-feeding apparatus for a manuallycontrolled machine including aplaten mounted for reciprocatory movement comprising, in combination,mechanism operative toprogressively feed successive work individuallyintroduced to the same, and devices operative automatically in responseto successive manually impelled reciprocatory actions of the platen forcontrolling the movement of the work on said feed mechanism intoprinting position with respect to the platen.

18. In mechanism for converting the work feed of a machine including amanually-operated platen from a normal manual to automatic, thecombination of a continuous-feed belt, a workholding magazine, means forfeeding the work from said magazine to the belt, and means controlledautomatically in response to the operation of the machine platen forintermittently interrupting the progression of the work on said belt.

19. A feeding device for delivering envelopes and the like adapted foruse with a machine of the character described, said feeding devicecomprising a frame providing means for detachably mounting the same intransversely adjusted positions on the machine, and means provided bysaid device rendered intermittently operative and inoperative in a cycleof operation of the machine for successively interrupting and conveyingthe work longitudinally of the frame.

20. Detachable feed mechanism adapted for use with a machine of acharacter including means for supporting a plurality of printing plates,a platen, and means for locating successive of said plates in positionfor compressing an envelope or the like therebetween and the platen toprint the envelope, said feed mechanism providing a continuously movingwork-feeding carriage, devices carried by said feed mechanism forinterrupting the conveyance of the work longitudinally of the carriage,and means supported by the feed mechanism for interconnecting saidinterruption devices with the operative mechanism of the machine forrendering said interruption devices intermittently operative andinoperative to the work on said carriage throughout a cycle of operationof the machine.

21. A feeding device adapted for use with a machine of a characterproviding printing plates or the like and a platen co-active with theplates to compress the work between the platen and the plates, saidfeeding device comprising, in combination with a feed carriage for thework adapted to conduct the Work into position for effecting theprinting operation thereon, means for adjusting the carriagetransversely of the machine to afford regulation for various widths ofwork in accommodating the work relative to the position of the machineplaten.

SIDNEY P. WIMPEE.

SIDNEY P. WIMPEE, JR.

